You're shipping features but only 10% of your customers touch them — and you're not sure why

Your team builds what seems logical based on internal debates. Design iterations focus on what looks better, not what solves user problems. The other 90% of customers ignore what you spent months building, and the metrics aren't moving. You're optimizing the wrong things because decisions come from assumptions instead of evidence. 

At How This Works co, we connect product strategy and design work directly to what customers actually need/solves their pain/etc.:

  • Customer research and discoverytalk to actual customers before designing solutions

  • Rapid prototyping and testing — test ideas with real people, learn fast, iterate based on evidence

  • Strategy that drives outcomes — focus design work on what moves your business metrics (activation, retention, completion rates)


Whether you need discovery research, design iteration, or end-to-end product strategy, we tailor the approach while maintaining clear connection to business impact. 

Let's figure out what customers actually need. Book a 25-min consult.

Down arrow, reverse coloring

Select case studies

Regional utility company

Transformed how an energy utility communicates innovation value internally. Using foundational research and sprints — including Design Sprint 2.0 — we developed the Customer Energy Control Center (CECC) prototype and organizational dashboards that elevated a 70+ project R&D lab from operational invisibility to strategic recognition within the broader company.

Fortune 100 dental insurance provider

Designed preventive care engagement for millions of members by combining IoT smart toothbrush data with behavioral rewards. Using the Clear Path Forward sequence, we created a proof of concept that shifted the business model from reactive customer issues to proactive health outcomes, delivering strategic roadmap for member engagement and retention.

Healthcare two-sided marketplace

As Sesame's founding designer, created transparent two-sided healthcare platform for millions of uninsured Americans and patients bypassing insurance. Using guerrilla interviews for rapid validation, we simplified complex provider-patient matching as "Hotel Tonight for doctors," launching from zero to 500+ providers in four (4) months. Built scalable Figma-Storybook design system for scale and continued market expansion.

Unified customer interaction platform

Unified fragmented experiences across Bank of America's 10+ business lines affecting thousands of client touchpoints. Through 20+ stakeholder interviews and 12+ validation sessions, created a 360° customer view platform enabling relationship managers to deliver personalized service while reducing operational friction.

Fractional design for a travel startup

Led strategic pivot from SMB to enterprise after discovering 48+ hour employee location gaps during routine business travel. Our Chrome browser extension technology addressed enterprise cost leakage and duty of care compliance, resulting in pilots with Fortune 500 companies and acquisition by Flight Centre.

While each project in our portfolio represents a unique success story, some have disclosure and privacy constraints. Schedule a 1:1 conversation to learn about specific outcomes and methods that might resonate with your goals.

Product strategy and design offerings

Just as a master baker combines precision with artistry, we blend strategic thinking with creative design to transform your vision into exceptional digital experiences. Here's our proven approach:

  1. Product strategy & UX audits
    Gain clarity on where your product stands today and where it can go tomorrow. Through a thorough assessment of your product’s current state, we identify opportunities for growth, refine your strategy, and chart a clear path forward that seamlessly aligns business objectives with user needs.

  2. Information architecture & user flows
    Create intuitive navigation and seamless interactions by structuring your content and mapping logical user pathways. These foundations optimize the user journey, ensuring every interaction feels natural and purposeful.

  3. Wireframes, prototyping & design
    Bring ideas to life with thoughtful design execution. From low-fidelity wireframes to polished, high-fidelity prototypes, we craft designs that balance aesthetics and functionality while staying true to your product’s vision and user goals.

  4. Scalable design systems
    Build for the future with a unified design framework that grows with your product. Scalable design systems promote consistency, streamline collaboration, and align cross-functional teams as your product evolves.

  5. Market insights & roadmapping
    Turn data into direction. We analyze market trends and customer behaviors to create a strategic roadmap that prioritizes features, improves user satisfaction, and drives meaningful business growth.
unsplash-image

READY TO WORK TOGETHER?

See if our approach fits your needs

Book a 25-min call to explore your specific challenge and discuss how we might work together (if we work in tandem). We'll be straight about whether our approach makes sense for your situation.

Subscribe to our newsletter, How Might We...

Not spammy or salesy, just ideas worth your time — written and assembled weekly-ish

© 2017-2025 How This Works, Inc. All rights reserved.

An audio cassette featuring a label about facilitation, coaching, and product strategy services inside a shrink wrapped case